International pop/rock phenomenon Newsboys commits the best of its explosive spring 2007 sell-out GO Tour to tape with GO Live. The groundbreaking GO Tour, which set record attendances, is evidence that Newsboys continue to innovate its live show, offering fans an amazing entertainment experience that changes lives. This live album, recorded in front of a packed out crowd, showcases hits from both the current critically- and commercially-acclaimed release, GO (“I Am Free,” “Wherever We Go,” “Something Beautiful,” “In Wonder”), as well as classic Newsboys tunes including “Shine,” “He Reigns,” and “It Is You,” all from gold-selling albums. With GO Live, Newsboys bring the energy from the arena into your stereo.

Newsboys [newboys Live: Houston We Are GO]| Posted October 07, 2008[MAIN REVIEW]
Since 2004, the writers of Christian Music Review and I have had the opportunity to attend at least a half dozen Newsboys concerts starting back in February 2004 with the highly successful (and very long) Adoration Tour. Right off the bat the Newsboys proved that a Christian concert could be both exciting and exhilarating, but more importantly, it was uplifting to me. Not only were the songs ministering to me, but the conversations between songs by front-man Peter Furler were both thought-provoking and uplifting. From that point on, I made it a point to come out and see the Newsboys whenever they were in our immediate area.

The Newsboys released their most recent studio album Go, in late October 2006. The boys had been riding the success of their two worship projects, Adoration (2003) and Devotion (2005), which spawned many radio hits, some which include their huge worship hit, “He Reigns”; “You Are My King (Amazing Love)” and “Presence (My Heart’s Desire)”. Either way you looked at it, the Newsboys were one of the bands with the most successful radio runs from 2004 to 2006. When Go hit store shelves it received the same critical acclaim as its predecessors.
Fast forward to the early summer of 2008. The band had been touring their Go CD for over a year and a half. It was time to put out a live CD/DVD. If any of you reading this right now had the opportunity to catch the Newsboys while on their Go tour then you know that not only was it a great show, but a sight that had to be seen live in person. There was just too much going on to really explain it, so now that Houston We Are GO is out, you can tell those unfortunate friends who couldn’t attend that they have another chance. Not only does this release cover the audio portion of the concert (CD), but it’s also accompanied by a concert DVD chronicling the entire show.

There are those crazy kids in the crowd with the glow in the dark sticks and necklaces and of course we can’t forget those ‘old school’ Newsboys fans that came to the show ready to start lobbing their Cap’n Crunch cereal into the crowd around them when the band goes into their early hit, “Breakfast”. You especially can’t forget the awesome drum solo. It’s not your ‘typical drum solo’. You’ll have to see it to believe it. Yes, the Newsboys put on a great show and while the Houston We Are GO CD/DVD gives you a look at a typical tour stop, you just have to see this band live and see for yourself as to why these guys from down under have captured the hearts of fans all over the world with their stylistic rock/pop music while ministering to the masses with their great message.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
Out of all of the live CDs that have been released in the past couple of years, there are only a few that really live up to the hype of being ‘one that you can’t miss’. This is one of those releases. Newsboys LIVE: Houston We Are GO is one of those albums you’ll enjoy listening to over and over again!

While the concert comes packaged in this release both as a CD & DVD, the concert DVD has no special features. It’s only content is the concert, but for those who had missed a Go tour stop, it’s enough to get you wanting to see them next time their nearby!

Newsboys' "Houston We Are GO: A Review| Posted September 30, 2008
by C.E. Moore

It’s hard to believe that Newsboys was the first Christian rock band I ever heard. Jesus Music had existed long before the Aussies arrived on the scene, but they were the first group to catch my ear. That was a long, long, long time ago. But, the Newsboys continue to trek forward with there distinctive rock sound that has now endeared two generations of music listeners.

Truth be told, when the album “Houston We Are GO” (recorded live in Houston, Texas during the “GO Tour”) arrived, I was less than enthused. I mean, Newsboys paved the road for so many bands that have come (and gone) who have raised the bar in terms of what listeners ought to expect when listening to Christian music. Could Newsboys hope to deliver anything truly special?

Well, if you’re looking for new and exciting music, you’re not going to get it. This is a live concert experience that features all of the songs that made the Newsboys such a fan favorite in the late 90’s and early part of the new millennium. But, one thing the band has always done well is put on a live show for their fans. The album definitely captures the kinetic energy of the band’s live performance. Covering 10 of the band’s most popular tracks such as “Shine,” “Entertaining Angels,” and “He Reigns.” For good measure, the band throws in a couple of worship numbers to lead the crowd to a deeper place of intimacy with God during the show. The night ends with Peter Furler’s emotional testimony and a plea to audience members to consider the way of Jesus.

A few disappointment’s though. The first disappointment I had with this project was the overall quality of the DVD that comes with the album. I have seen a number of Christian concert videos such as David Crowder’s “Remedy Club Tour Edition” and tobyMac’s “Alive & Transported” and those projects were done with the same professionalism that characterizes their mainstream counterparts. The quality of the DVD that accompanies the live Newsboys album is just plain poor. At times it looks as if someone used a Handycam to simply bootleg the concert. Second, while I am all about artist testimonies, I wish Furler’s testimony had been a bit shorter—it clocked in at just over 11 minutes—and I also wish that the album had ended with a song, rather than with the testimony portion of the concert. It felt as if something were missing.

After all these years the Newsboys still know how to put on an electrifying show. I oftentimes had to remind myself that I wasn’t actually at the concert itself. The sound quality is clear and crisp. Some might frown on the fact that their music essentially preaches to the converted. I don’t think the band would deny that fact. The fact is, this band still knows how to rock and they do so with the fervor of a band half their age. The Newsboys still have it people.

This review has been reprinted on NRT with permission from The Christian Manifesto. Click here to visit TheChristianManifesto.com today!

One of the best ones!| Posted November 08, 2011
So sad Peter Furler is not currently in Newsboys, because his style really influenciates the band!
Something Beautifull and I am Free are really cool songs, and Peter's testimony is really deep.
This is truly one of the best Newsboys disks!

In general I am not a big fan of "Live" albums. Many times it seems live albums either reveal how much an artist is "helped" in the studio and shows that most of the talent behind them is done by engineers, or you have an artist who's voice is strained from heavy touring. Sometimes you also have artists that want to completely re-arrange songs for their live performances and the songs you love somehow lose all the magic and specialness because the new arrangements are weaker than the originals.

This release was really refreshing in the sense that the live versions sound very close to the originals and show that what you hear on the bands albums is really the raw talent of the group...even though many of their CD's are heavily produced. This would be a great album for anyone who wants a live album from the Newsboys or anyone who saw this show/tour.

!!| Posted December 22, 2010
AWESOME sound for any age...rock on God! This is an excellent cd!This group has been around the Christian music scene for many years now and they just seem to get better. True Kingdom music!

WOW| Posted July 13, 2010
Loved it! even though the songs were a little ong it was like i was right there at the concert! they are truely amazing! I recently saw the new newsboys in concert with michael tait and they were still great!